5 Hottest Debuts of the 2014 Chicago Auto Show

These rides managed to heat up frigid Chicago, if only for a week in February.

Despite the grandeur of the Chicago auto show—it’s held in the wonderful and palatial McCormick Place—it doesn’t enjoy the same deluge of debuts that, say, Detroit or L.A. sees. But that’s okay, because this year, Chicago clearly chased quality, not quantity, and the five hot rides you see here managed to keep the city’s frigid temperatures at bay while appealing to our love of all things diesel, wagon shaped, and off-roady. Heck, some of these cars even incorporated more than one of those qualities. Enjoy!

Admittedly, Subaru’s all-new Legacy makes this list because it isn’t so much hot as it is not ugly. This isn’t supposed to be an insult, mind you, because Subaru has traded well on its quirky, often “interesting” styling, which suits its quirky, often “interesting” brand. (Don’t believe us? Subie recorded record sales last year.) But so what if the previous Legacy doesn’t exactly leave a head-turning legacy? This new one’s neatly tailored, muscular, and handsome look makes the old one easy to forget. Throw in standard all-wheel drive, a choice of a 2.5-liter flat-four or 3.6-liter flat-six, and a much improved interior, and the Legacy is ready to keep Subaru’s momentum humming. READ FULL STORY ››

Although BMW’s diesel-powered 7-series didn’t debut to quite the same fanfare as the aforementioned Subaru, it’s nonetheless a fantastic ride. The 7 is already one of the more athletic sedans in the full-size-luxury game, and the addition of a diesel option tickles our inner Europhile and gives BMW a weapon against the big diesel sedans from Audi and Benz here in the U.S. Dubbed the 740Ld xDrive (BMW-speak for all-wheel drive), the diesel 7 comes pretty much one way—at least when it comes to powertrain and body-style choices—combining four driven wheels, BMW’s 3.0-liter diesel inline-six, and the 7’s long-wheelbase body. It is expected to return well over 30 mpg and will cost $83,425, putting it right on top of Audi’s A8 TDI. We think a comparison test is in order. READ FULL STORY ››

Oh, boy, where do we start? Toyota’s trucks have long held a reputation for being unstoppable off-road, and the TRD Pro Series packages for the Tacoma, Tundra, and 4Runner up the ante even further. For a full rundown of the rigs’ technical details, click through to our full story below; as for the trucks’ looks, well, they all are pretty bad-ass. Big, meaty tires on black-painted rims, obviously raised suspensions, and tough-looking grilles with old-school “Toyota” lettering make these the belles of the local off-road park’s ball. Don’t be surprised to see one of these vehicles, rusty but trusty, plowing snow in your neighborhood 35 years from now. READ FULL STORY ››

The Nissan Frontier Diesel Runner concept’s name says it all: it’s a diesel-powered Frontier. But what it doesn’t give away is that oil burner’s source—none other than the diesel-engine leader, Cummins. The relationship between Nissan and Cummins appears to be growing stronger, what with the upcoming second-gen Titan pickup’s optional 5.0-liter diesel V-8 supplied by, you guessed it, Cummins. That production model bodes well for this Frontier, which all appearances say Nissan really, really wants to build. We’re more than good with its 2.8-liter diesel four, which puts out an estimated 200 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque and has the prospect of a 35-percent bump in fuel economy relative to the gas-fed Frontier V-6. Build it, Nissan—but only after you whip together a production version of the IDx concept. READ FULL STORY ››

Volvo’s racing partner, Polestar, has been playing an increasingly larger role in the automaker’s mainstream products, starting with some power packages and sweet concept cars and culminating in the S60 and V60 you see here. Polestar’s name adorns both of these freakin’ hot Swedes—literally and figuratively. On the outside, the cars’ burly 20-inch wheels, angry front and rear fascias, and available Polestar Blue paint drip with aggression. Inside, they have a businesslike black cabin punctuated with bright blue stitching, and 350 turbocharged horsepower lives under their chiseled hoods. Being wagon fetishists, we’d take the we-can’t-believe-Volvo-brought-it-to-the-U.S. V60, but both cars are unbelievably hot. READ FULL STORY ››